Alternate Reality
by peacenotwar93
Summary: So this is a story about Rose, but she is human, as are all of her friends.. Most of the characters in VA are in this story.. This is my second fan fic so be nice!    I wanted to do something completely different to my first fan fic.. I hope you like it!
1. Chapter 1: Graduating

**Note: Hello, this is my second Fan fiction and I wanted to do something very different to my first one. Here, Lissa and Rose are human as are all of their friends. It has most of the original characters in it, but there may be a few new faces throughout the story. I like writing long stories so this one won't be any different. Rose's graduation dress in this chapter is the dress that Hermione wears to Fleurs wedding in the 7th Harry Potter movie. I hope you like it! And please let me know what you think by reviewing! - Raechel =]**

* * *

Chapter One: Graduating

I woke up with a start, barely able to breathe. I was dying, and yet it felt wonderful, blissfully perfect. I couldn't quite understand my nightmares, they never made any sense to me. All I would remember is burning red ringed eyes, unimaginably sharp teeth and a feeling of pure happiness as the life was being sucked out of me, literally sucked out of me. For as long as I could remember I had been having the same nightmare every night. A nightmare about vampires. It was ridiculous because I knew just as much as any other human, that vampires didn't exist. But every morning I woke up almost suffocating on my own fear, there was some part of me that believed they were real. There was no way I could have such vivid dreams about a mythical creature that didn't exist. I immediately dismissed those thoughts, not wanting to sound crazy, and hopped out of bed and into the shower.

Today was the big day, the day I graduated from highschool. I had been looking forward to this day ever since I started at Vladimir's Academy in the 10th grade. I was a transfer from L.A and hadn't wanted to start at a new school half way through my education. Leaving friends behind was hard enough, now I had to make new ones? It was sheer torture. But, I had made a deal with my parents, if they promised to pay for a trip to Europe for me and a friend at the end of school, as a sort of graduation present, then I would move to this god for saken place and go to school where ever the hell they wanted.

Okay, so it hadn't been as bad as I thought it would be. I didn't really fit in at the Academy, mainly because all of the girls were model thin and deathly pale which, in comparison to me, Beautifully tanned skin, a physically fit body with curves that made the guys drool, I was a sort of novelty at this school. On the first day I met a girl named Lissa, her real name was Vasilisa but she hated it, thinking it sounded so upper class and snobby, so everyone just called her Lissa or Liss. She had been the head of the 'welcoming committee' and had made it her mission to make me feel like I belonged at the Academy. We had clicked instantly and had been best friends ever since. She had been like a sister to me and I would never let us fall out of contact after school finished. Lissa was also one of the most popular girls in the school, which meant that I immediately became popular just by being around her. I hadn't minded, because honestly, it was a hell of a lot better then being the loser new girl that no one liked.

Lissa was dating the token 'bad boy' of the grade, Christian Ozera. Just by looking at him, you knew he was trouble. He almost always wore a leather jacket to school, with which he usually accompanied with a pair of designer jeans and a tight fitting V-neck shirt. He was hot, I had to admit, but he definitely wasn't my type. What made the 'bad boy' image even stronger, was that he rode a motorbike to school every day. Yeah, he was a rebel without a cause alright. But he loved Lissa and would do anything for her. I liked him, we got along really well, mainly because we were very similar, the same disinterested attitude towards teachers and we could always think of snarky comments in next to no time. Together, him and Lissa looked like a couple that should be on the cover of a magazine. What with her long and lustrous platinum Blonde hair, her jade green eyes and slim figure, they were like Ken and Barbie they were so perfect.

Not long after I transferred to the Academy, I had become one of the most popular girls in school, along with Liss. I was also the known 'party girl' of the grade. Always willing to break the rules for a good time. Although rumours would always be going around about me and god knows how many guys I had hooked up with, there was only one guy that I was loyal to. Mason Ashford. We had started dating a few months after I came to Vlad's and had been joined at the hip ever since. He was an amazing guy, handsomely sexy features, perfectly built body and not to mention the fact that he was totally love sick with me. He was the captain of the football team and although I wasn't the head cheerleader, we were a match made in heaven. We were best friends aswell as boyfriend and girlfriend, it was a sweet deal. But because he was planning on going to college in the fall in New York and I was travelling to Europe with Liss, we had decided to split up after graduation. We were both upset but we knew it was the right thing to do. I wasn't ready for a long-distance relationship and neither was he. We promised to always stay friends, of course. No way was I going to never speak to him again.

There was a knock at the front door and I already knew it would be Liss, she had promised to come over so we could go shopping for the perfect graduation dress for each of us. Then we would both get ready at her house and go to graduation together. Lissa's was my second home and her family had been my substitute family most of the time. My parents were almost always working. My Dad, Abe Mazur was always in some other state or country on 'business'. I never knew what it was he did and every time I brought it up he would just say it was very important private business for the Government. As for my Mother, Janine Hathaway, well she was also always at work. I was practically raised by our Nanny, Olivia. I felt more home whenever I was at Lissa's then I did in my own house. I ran to the door and was greeted by a huge smile on Lissa's face.

"Rose! I can't believe today is the day! We're finally graduating, this is going to be amazing! I can't wait till our trip! Are you ready to go?" Liss was ecstatic, I could tell just by looking at her, she was practically bouncing up and down. This was going to be a great day.

* * *

"What do you think of this one, Liss? I'm not too sure." We had been shopping for about an hour and a half and neither of us had found the perfect dress yet. I never realised just how exhausting shopping could be. We had tried on countless dresses and still, none of them stood out for me. Lissa was also beginning to get frustrated, we hated the idea of not having anything to wear to graduation. We both came from wealthy families so money was never an issue with us, the only issue was finding the perfect dress to spend the money on.

"I don't think green is the right colour for you Rose. Oh, look at that one over there on the rack! That would look perfect on you!" Lissa had spotted a rose red dress, cut a little above the knees. The top of the dress was tight-fitting and just above the waste, it loosened out into a more flowy material. It was beautifully detailed, with a floral-esque pattern around the waist. I immediately fell in love with it. There was only one left on the rack and luckily it was my size! I tried it on, studied myself in the mirror and decided to buy it.

All that was left was finding a dress for Liss. A difficult task but after another Forty minutes or so, we found a beautiful, floor length, pale blue dress. It was perfect for Lissa, she looked every bit a Princess in that dress. After we had bought ourselves each a bag and a pair of shoes to match we headed back to Lissa's house to start getting ready. Her mother had an endless supply of make-up and hair products which is why we decided on her house.

* * *

We had just finished doing our hair and make-up when Mason and Christian showed up to drive us to graduation. I had decided to leave my hair out in loose waves, while Liss decided to pin her hair up into a loose, messy bun, with diamond clips through her hair, she looked beautiful and I couldn't help but feel a little ordinary standing next to her. When we walked down stairs, both Mason and Christian's jaws dropped as they let out a gasp. I loved thinking that I had that effect on Mason. Mason held out his hand in an old-fashioned gentlemanly gesture and so we went, off to graduate from highschool forever.

* * *

Our graduation was being held at the Academy. It was a large, old-fashioned school with a massive hall that will hold the entire student body, plus guests. It was decorated beautifully with deep red ribbons lining the sides of the hall, with gorgeous glittering chandeliers hanging from the roof. As I walked in, I was in awe of how beautiful my school hall could look. Before taking our seats we had to go to the side of the stage to pick up our graduation gowns and caps. I hated the idea of covering up my outfit, but I knew I wouldn't have to wear the gown or cap for long. After taking our seats the ceremony began.

I had zoned out for most of the speeches, I wasn't really interested in them. All I was interested was hearing my name, walking up on that stage, graduating and getting out of there. The after party was what I was looking forward to more than anything.

As I stood in line waiting to be called up on the stage, my eyes glanced over at where Mason was sitting, he caught my eye and smiled a small, crooked smile. I smiled warmly back to him and a memory flashed through my mind. It was the day Mason had first asked me out.

Mason had always been so confident and strong but he had been so nervous when asking me out. I found it endearing. It showed me that he wasn't some overconfident jock, but a warm, genuine guy that I could be happy with.

"Hey, Rose.. I, uh, was kind of.. well I was wondering if maybe you.. if you wanted to go out on a, uh, on a date.. with me?" He had barely been able to stutter the sentence out, but I had already been interested in him and would have said yes no matter how nervous he was.

I was suddenly pulled back to the present when I heard the name of the girl ahead of me in line.

"Michelle Hammond... Rose Hathaway." This was it, I thought. Finally after so much anticipation and excitement, I was finally graduating. I walked off stage, took my seat and laughed internally. 'Was that it?' I thought to myself. I thought there would be some overwhelming feeling of satisfaction to having made it through highschool. I guess not.

* * *

The after party was definitely the best part of the night. Mason's best friend, Eddie Castile, was the one holding the party. He had a massive house which was perfect for things like this. Eddie had always treated me like a sister, which I liked. He was just as tall as Mason, built like a tank and was amazingly easy on the eyes. He was dating my other friend, Mia, but that didn't stop every girl in the school to swoon over him. Mia and I hadn't got along very well when I first came to the school, mainly because she thought I was out to steal Eddie from her, but after Mason and I had gotten together, she lightened up and we became close friends.

"Hey Rose, are you enjoying the party?" Eddie was such a hospitable host, always making sure everyone was enjoying themselves. He was just an all around good guy, like Mason. I think that was why they were the best of friends.

"Hey Eddie. Yeah I am, thanks for asking. Also, thanks for offering to throw the party, you're such a gem!" I gave him a massive bear hug and then went looking for my boyfriend. Even though Mason and I had decided to break up after graduation, we were still technically together until I left for Europe the next day. I wasn't going to waste a minute with him.

I had been looking for almost fifteen minutes and still no sign of him. I had asked a few people if they had seen him and finally someone said that they saw him headed upstairs to one of the bedrooms. I figured he just wanted to go somewhere quiet until I got there. Even though he was the captain of the football team, he wasn't one for parties. I loved that about him.

I opened the door to Eddie's bedroom and what I saw was something I definitely hadn't expected. There, on the bed, right in front of me, was Mason and Lissa, making out, with her on top of him. My heart sank. For a second I thought I was imagining it. They hadn't heard me walk in and I didn't even know if I would be able to speak, so I just left. I walked out of the bedroom, down the stairs and out the front door. I walked all the way down the street to a park that was a few house down from Eddie's. I sat down on a swing and started crying. I couldn't stop myself. I had just seen my best friend making out with my boyfriend. 'How could this be happening to me?' I thought to myself. I was sobbing. Loud, vicious sobs that I couldn't control. My chest began to ache and it took all of my energy to stand up and walk home. It took me about forty minutes to get home, it was surprising that I hadn't gotten lost considering the daze I was in. My mother was still up and when she heard me come in she walked to the front door to greet me.

"You're a little early. I figured you would be partying it up with Lissa and Mason all night.. Did you want something to.. Rose, are you okay?" My mother may not have always been there for me, but she could always tell when something was wrong. I had no idea what I must have looked like but considering I had been crying ever since I left the party, I could have guessed that I looked pretty horrific.

"Oh god, Mum.." was all I could manage. I wrapped my arms around my mother and buried my face into her shoulder.. The sobs had started up again. Although my mother had no idea what was wrong with me, she knew not to press for answers until I was ready. She whispered reassurances that everything would be okay into my ear and although I knew she was only trying to calm me down, a part of me really believed her.


	2. Chapter 2: Escape To Fate

**Note: Hello everyone! Okayy so, I know I only put up the first chapter yesterday, but I am really eager to get this story going and I want to try and update either everyday or every couple of days. =] I hope you like this second chapter. =] Dimitri is introduced in this chapter, so I hope you enjoy! Please review, I really want to know what you guys think! =] Thanks! - Raechel**

* * *

Chapter Two: Escape To Fate

I woke up bleary eyed and puffy cheeked from crying myself to sleep. My mother had lied with me until I fell asleep, and wound up falling asleep herself. I didn't mind though, this was the closest we had ever been as mother and daughter. After my sobs had calmed down a little, I had explained to my mother why I was the way I was. She was shocked and didn't quite know how to handle the situation, but she had given it her best shot, that was the most I could ask from her. She was still asleep next to me and I didn't want to wake her so I decided to go downstairs and make myself a cup of tea. I was still processing what I had seen last night. Most of me believed I had been hallucinating, but the other part.. well that part knew it had actually happened.

As I was waiting for the kettle to boil, the door bell rang. I wasn't expecting anyone and frankly, I didn't have the energy to talk to anyone I knew. I assumed it would be one of our neighbours or something. As soon as I opened the door, I immediately regretted it, because standing in front of me was Mason. He looked up at me and smiled his crooked smile that I loved, oh god why did he have to do that? I almost started crying again right then and there, but I put up as much of a mask as I could manage in the state I was in, I was not going to look weak. Not now.

"Good morning, Rose. I didn't see you at the party last night and I got a little worried. Is everything okay? You look like hell to be honest." 'of course you didn't see me, you were too busy looking down Lissa's throat' I thought bitterly. I knew he wasn't insulting me, because well, I did look like hell. I had gone to bed in my clothes, crying practically all night until exhaustion finally won out. I felt like absolute crap aswell. I couldn't speak, all I could do was stare at the guy who had broken my heart and didn't even know he'd done it.

"Rose? What's wrong?" The funny thing was that he actually looked genuinely worried about me. I couldn't control myself, I'd snapped.

"How can you stand there and act like you did nothing wrong? I saw you with her, with... Lissa." My voice cracked on that last bit, I was doing my best to hold in the hysteria. And before I could slam the door in Mason's face and never speak to him again, who else would rock up to my front door, but Lissa? There she was, all cheerful and perky. She obviously wasn't planning on telling me what she had done.

"Hey guys! Rose, why aren't you dressed? We have to leave for the airport in like, half an hour!" I had completely forgotten that I was supposed to be travelling to Europe with my so called 'best friend' today. Lissa looked between Mason and me a few times, not needing a sign to tell her that there was obvious tension between us. Mason looked absolutely mortified, I looked devastated and Lissa looked.. confused.

"Guys, seriously, what the hell is going on?" I was about to crack again when Mason spoke first.

"Liss... Rose knows about us. She saw us at the party last night." He didn't even hesitate, no stammering, no pauses, just straight out as if it was the most normal thing in the world. My heart broke even more. It was then that I realised that the after party wasn't the first time they had been together. I felt like even more of a fool then I had the night before. Lissa's eyes widened with shock and then she immediately started grovelling.

"Oh god, Rose, I am so sorry! Please, you have to forgive me, you're my best friend! Please, Rose!" Liss was rambling, I wasn't even listening to what she was saying. I honestly didn't care.

"Please, just leave." It was barely a whisper, but they had heard me. I was holding on to the door frame to stop myself from falling over, which was a definite possibility at that point.

"Rose, we should talk about this, you can't just shut us out." It was Mason that spoke those words, trying to sound like the responsible one. It made me sick. My mask crumpled and I couldn't hold in my anger. It was like some kind of darkness had come out of nowhere and I wasn't able to suppress it or control it.

"Are you kidding? I have every right to shut both of you out of my life forever! Do you have any idea how hurt I was when I saw you two together? Lissa, you were my family, my sister.. I trusted you! How could you betray me like this? And you.. I loved you! You always said you were different to all the other jocks, but I should've known better. You.. you've broken my heart." Tears were streaming down my face, but I didn't care. I barely even noticed.

"Rose.. What about Europe? We are best friends, this was supposed to be the best trip of our lives." Lissa was also crying, 'good' I thought. You _should_ feel horrible for what you did.

"We are not best friends. Both of you.. you're nothing to me, not anymore. Now get out."

"Rose.. Please." Mason was practically begging for my forgiveness. I couldn't stand talking to them for another second, luckily my mum had heard my yelling and had come downstairs right on time, and boy, was she angry.

"Rose, sweetie are you okay? Lissa, Mason, I think both of you should leave right this minute." They weren't harsh words, but my mother spoke them with such power and strength, it was a wonder Mason and Lissa didn't run away right then.

"Please, miss Hathaway, you don't understand.." Lissa hadn't known that my mum understood exactly what was going on.

"No, Lissa, you don't understand. I know exactly what you did and I suggest you get the hell off my property before I do some serious damage. You will _not_ hurt my daughter anymore than you already have." It was then that I realised just how much I loved my mum. No matter how much she worked, she would always be there to take care of me. My mum didn't bother waiting for them to leave, she slammed the door in their faces and led me over to the couch. Then, for the second time, I broke down in my mothers arms.

"Rose, shh.. It's okay, they are gone. They can't hurt you anymore.. Sweetheart, I know you don't want to talk about this, but you were meant to leave for the airport in about twenty minutes. I completely understand if you don't want to go anymore, I will call the airline and cancel the booking." I suddenly knew what I had to do. I had to get as far away from Mason and Lissa as possible. I had to escape from this place, the only place that would keep reminding me of them both. Mason wasn't leaving for college for a few months and Lissa, now that she wasn't going to Europe, would be here the whole time. I needed this trip.

"No, mum. I still want to go. I need to get away from all of this."

"Well, would you like me to come with you? I don't know if you should be alone, especially in another part of the world. I can take time off work and we can catch a flight later in the week?" I never knew my mum had a maternal instinct in her and this made me love her so much more. But I knew I needed to be alone. To really heal.

"I really appreciate that, mum. I do. It's just.. well I think I need to be alone. This will be good for me, I promise." I managed a small smile as reassurance. My mother had reluctantly agreed to let me go. Luckily I had already packed everything for the trip a week earlier, so all I had to do was get dressed for the flight. It was going to be long.

* * *

My father had decided to upgrade my plane ticket to first class, as a kind of 'I hope you feel better' gesture. He never was good at showing affection, but I appreciated it anyway. My plane landed in Russia. The first and last stop on my trip. I had previously planned on spending most of the trip in Russia, I had heard amazing things about it from our Russian history teacher. She always talked about Russia wistfully. It almost made me miss a country that I had never even been to before. So there I was, outside the Russian airport, waiting for a taxi. I spoke absolutely no Russian, Lissa was supposed to be the translator on this trip. She was fluent in 6 languages, Russian being one of them. There was an ache in my chest when I thought about how we were supposed to take this trip together.

After a long and frustrating conversation with the cab driver, trying to tell him to drive me to a hotel, I finally made it up to my room. I slumped on the bed and decided that instead of sulking in my room, I was going to go out and explore. I was in a whole new country for Christ sake. So, I changed into a more comfortable outfit, a slim fitting dress that hugged my body perfectly, and headed out for the evening.

* * *

I had made my way into a nightclub whose name I couldn't translate and decided to take a seat at the bar. I ordered a drink, not knowing if the guy behind the bar understood what it was I had ordered, but I figured that alcohol was still just alcohol, after all, it would have the same effect on me. I was watching the people on the dance floor when I noticed a group of women dancing around this man. He was paler than I would have expected and thinner than most guys and he smiled in an odd way. The women dancing around him looked, well they looked like sluts to be honest. Skimpy dresses leaving nothing to the imagination, layers and layers of make-up and they all looked high. Then what I saw next was the most devastatingly gorgeous man I had ever seen. He was very tall, shoulder length brown hair that looked like silk, tanned skin that looked so soft and he was wearing a simple black dress shirt with black pants. He was obviously some kind of bodyguard from the way his eyes surveyed everything around the pale man, he was slightly relaxed, but there was a tension in the way he stood. The guy dancing must have been some kind of rich, elite business man for having a bodyguard like that guy, I thought. I was in a trance, staring at this beautiful man when someone stood directly in front of me..

I nearly stumbled over, there was no way I could have been seeing what I was seeing. Deathly pale skin, red ringed eyes, oh god. This was my nightmare, only it was real. I didn't have time to scream or even run because the man had begun to speak.

"You are going to stay very quiet and you are not going to try and escape, do you understand?" My head was practically screaming at me to run away, but my body wasn't moving an inch. All of a sudden everything this man was saying sounded like the most reasonable thing in the world, I would give him what ever he wanted. A part of me knew that I was in danger, but that was heavily suppressed by this man's voice, icy yet so, so smooth.

"I understand."

"Good girl, now, you feel like going outside for some fresh air, don't you?" DON"T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! I was screaming at myself, but I wouldn't listen to me. I couldn't.

"Mmm, fresh air sounds perfect." The man put one arm around my waist and started leading me out a back exit that leaded into a dark alley. As soon as we were outside the man slammed me into the wall and I saw hunger in his eyes. Hunger for... me.

"Remember, you aren't going to make a sound."

"Not a sound." I said oblivious to what was about to happen. I was drowning in his voice. That was when his fangs bit into my neck. I winced in pain, but then was enveloped with this immense feeling of pleasure. It was the best feeling in the world, like I was the happiest I had ever been. No Lissa, no Mason and no heartbreak. I was about to give in to that pleasure when a memory, or well, a vision of my nightmares popped into my head. This man was a vampire and he was killing me. But how could something so horrible feel so good? I needed to survive, I had to get out of there, but oh was it difficult to break through that high.

I was weakening, I could feel it. It wasn't much longer until I died. I had to do something. I needed to survive I kept telling myself. It was then that I kicked out with as much strength that I could muster up in my delirious state. The vampire didn't fall over, but he had stumbled backwards. He hadn't expected me to fight back. Because I kicked him while his fangs were still in my neck, half of my neck ripped out with his teeth. I screamed out in pain, barely able to stay standing. As soon as his fangs left my neck, or at least what was left of my neck, my head became clearer and the full impact of what was happening just hit me. The vampire began coming at me again, I was sure I was going to die. Only, I didn't. Just like lightning another man had jumped in front of me and started squaring off with the vampire. I was still up against the wall but I couldn't get far enough away from what was happening right in front of me. The man who had come to my defence was the body guard I had seen inside. He was so graceful, which was impossible to imagine considering he was fighting a vampire. The vampire was strong and fast and got a few good hits on the mystery man, but this guy was good, he continued dodging the vampires attacks and finally, when he had an opening, he took on the offensive. All of a sudden I saw something silver glitter in the night and as quickly as I had seen it, the body guard had plunged it through the vampires chest. The vampire struggled for a few seconds before going still. My eyes were wide and my mouth had dropped to the floor. I was horrified. What had I just witnessed. I had no idea, but it scared the hell out of me.

The mystery man pulled the silver stake, I had noticed what it was, out of the vampires chest and slid it back into a holster he had around his waist. He looked over at me and put his hands up in an 'I'm not going to hurt you' gesture. He began speaking in Russian and I had no idea what he was saying.

"Не паникуйте, я не собираюсь делать тебе больно. Пожалуйста, вы мне заботиться о вас? Меня зовут Дмитрий Беликов." _(Don't panic, I am not going to hurt you. Please, will you let me take care of you? My name is Dimitri Belikov.)_

"Uh. I'm sorry, I don't speak Russian."

"Oh okay. My name is Dimitri Belikov. You don't have to worry, I am not going to hurt you." His voice was like heaven, smooth and sexy. And his Russian accent just accentuated that. I couldn't believe that after what I had just been through, I was actually checking this Dimitri guy out. Well, he had saved my life, so I guess it was understandable to be attracted to my hero, but it was more than that. I had only just met the guy, but I knew I was safe with him.

"I wasn't worrying. I figured you weren't going to hurt me when you saved my life. I'm Rose, Rose Hathaway. I would say it's nice to meet you, but well, under these circumstances, it really isn't." I was baffled by how calm I was being. I thought I would go into shock any second. Dimitri was also shocked at my reaction. I had almost forgotten to thank him for saving me.

"Thank you, by the way. If it weren't for you, I would be dead right now, so thanks, again." Dimitri studied me for a few seconds before responding.

"I don't mean to alarm you or anything, Ma'am, but well, your neck is in pretty bad shape. I should take you to a hospital." He looked genuinely worried, which was endearing. I suddenly remembered the skin that had been ripped off when I kicked the vampire away. I held my hand up to my neck and when I pulled it away, it was covered in blood.

"God damn it," I muttered under my breathe, "Look, is there anyway you could take care of this without taking me to a hospital? I don't really think they would believe me if I told them I was attacked by a vampire." Dimitri's eyes widened in surprise for the second time that night, and for some reason, I enjoyed surprising him.

"Um, yes of course. How much of what happened do you remember?" I didn't understand why he was asking me that. How could I possibly forget that I was attacked by a vampire?

"All of it. Coming into the club, seeing you guarding some guy, following this guy outside knowing that it was a bad idea.. I couldn't control myself. And then I remember him biting my neck, drinking my blood, me kicking him away and then you coming in to save the day, I mean night. Why?" And then, for the third time, Dimitri's surprised expression had become even more dumbfounded. He blinked back his shock to ask me another question as we walked towards a car that I assumed was his.

"You... kicked the Strigoi? How could you-? I'm sorry, it's just that, that has never happened before." Strigoi? I had no idea what a Strigoi was, but my guess was that it was the Russian name for Vampire.

"Yes, I kicked the vampire or what ever you call them. Look I don't mean to sound silly, but where are you taking me?"

"I am taking you back to my apartment, it is not far from here, just wait here in the car, I will be right back." And so, Dimitri Belikov, my hero, walked back into the club. And I was left bleeding in the front seat of his car. This night had definitely made a turn for the unexpected.


	3. Chapter 3: New Beginnings

**Note: Hello all of my wonderful readers! So yeah, I couldn't wait to update again! I hope you like this chapter.. Keep reviewing, please, because I love to hear from you guys! =D - Raechel**

* * *

Chapter 3: New Beginnings

When Dimitri got back in the car I decided I didn't want to spend the car trip in silence.

"Hey, um, don't you have to guard that guy inside?" I had almost forgotten that Dimitri was some kind of bodyguard. He looked at me warily.

"He has two other Guardians protecting him. He should be fine until tomorrow. I told them about what had happened and that I needed to look after you. How did you know that I was a Guardian? Oh, here's a towel for your neck, it looks like the bleeding has stopped but you have still lost a lot of blood, try to stay conscious." I didn't know if I could even think about falling asleep at a time like this, adrenaline was still pumping through my veins and not to mention that if I fell asleep I wouldn't have been able to stare at this beautiful Russian Guardian before me. I had no idea what he meant by Guardian, but I decided to go with it.

"Thanks and just by the way you were at the nightclub. You made a good show of being relaxed and everything, but your body was still tense, like you were waiting for preparing yourself if anything were to happen. And then there were your eyes, they were surveying everything in the nightclub without looking like you were doing it." I realised then that to anyone else, Dimitri just would have looked like another club goer. I guessed I was the only person staring at him so intently to have noticed those things.

"How much do you know of Strigoi and Moroi?" He asked me warily. Now I was the one with the bemused expression on my face.

"Uh, I'm sorry?" Dimitri stared at me with a confused expression on his face, it's like he was studying my soul.

"Back at the club, you talked about vampires without any fear or hesitation in your voice. And now you're telling me you had no idea they existed?"

"Well, yeah, I guess I am telling you that. I mean, I have been having nightmares about vampires ever since I can remember, the whole red ringed eyes, deathly pale skin and all, but I always thought they were just.. well, just nightmares. But when I saw the vampire in the club, I wasn't surprised that he was real, I was surprised that he was exactly like the vampires in my dreams." Dimitri continued glancing at me curiously, not swerving the car in the slightest.

We arrived at Dimitri's apartment by then and as I got out of the car, I became dizzy all of a sudden and stumbled, almost feinting. Before I could hit the ground, though, Dimitri's arms laced around my waist catching me. Man, was he quick. As soon as his skin came in contact with me, electrical impulses shot through every part of my body. I was pretty sure Dimitri felt them too because from the look on his face, he wasn't expecting to feel any sort of impulse towards me. He left one hand resting on my back, steadying me while leading me upstairs to his home.

Dimitri unlocked the door to his apartment and as soon as we stepped inside, I felt like I had just come home. His apartment was warm and welcoming. Beautiful, vintage bookcases lined the walls filled with old books I had never heard of. His lounge room had a cosy fireplace with a beautiful leather couch sitting across from it. And his kitchen, all wooden. This was the house I had always imagined myself living in one day.

"Wow, this place is... amazing." I didn't know how else to describe it. Dimitri looked at me with an exasperated expression.

"After everything you have been through tonight, you still have time to compliment my living arrangements? You truly are one to be reckoned with. Now, please, sit down. I have to patch up your neck," Dimitri looked me up and down - not in a seductive way though, "and you will need to change out of those clothes, they are covered in blood." I hadn't even considered what my clothes would look like, and that was my favourite dress too.

I sat down on a kitchen chair, waited and watched as Dimitri collected all the supplies he would need.

"Okay, now first I have to use this disinfectant to prevent infection. I should warn you, though, it will hurt... a fair bit." _Great _I thought. Dimitri poured some of the disinfectant onto a cloth and began dabbing at my neck, he was right, it stung like a bitch! But I tried to stay as still and as quiet as I could. The only indication that it was painful was that I was gripping Dimitri's arm with as much strength as I could muster. He smiled a small smile at my will power. I was not going to scream in front of him. I wasn't sure why, but I didn't like the idea of looking weak in front of someone so strong. Dimitri finished with the disinfectant, and to my utter horror, he pulled out a needle and the string used for stitches.

"Oh god, you aren't seriously going to stitch me up are you?" I couldn't bare the idea of getting stitched up while still conscious.

"I'm sorry, Roza, but I have to. Don't worry, I am medically trained to do this. Unfortunately it will hurt more than the disinfectant." _Roza. _He had called me Roza. I could definitely get used to his Russian accent. He looked genuinely sorry about having to do this, but as before, I allowed him to stitch me up, trying not to scream, although it was extremely difficult. I never thought there could be anything more painful then having a needle being stuck through your neck right where your throat had nearly been ripped out. The pain was excruciating, I thought I would pass out from it. My grip on Dimitri's arm had become even tighter and I had to bite down on my lip hard to stop myself from screaming. Unfortunately, tears had started streaming down my cheeks because the pain was so unbearable.

When Dimitri was finished he placed a medical bandage patch over the area and without even hesitating, he wiped away my tears with his thumbs. He stared into my eyes and oh, how I could get lost in those eyes. All the pain seemed unimportant compared to that moment.

"I'm so sorry, Roza. About the pain." He actually looked guilty for having to fix me up. I had to reassure him immediately.

"Dimitri, really, you don't have anything to be sorry about. You saved my life and you fixed me without needing a hospital. If anything, I should be thanking you immensely. I owe you my life." it sounded corny, but I couldn't help it, it was the truth. Dimitri stroked a strand of hair out of my face and continued stroking down the unharmed side of my neck. It felt incredible, like nothing I had ever experienced before. He lightly placed his fingers on the side of my neck, sending shivers throughout my entire body. He was only inches away from me and his scent was intoxicating. I so wanted him to close the distance between us, I was practically begging some higher power to make it happen. Dimitri was just staring at me, like his eyes were searching for something. I made a choice. I wasn't going to wait for him, it was my only chance and I planned on taking it. I wrapped my arms around his neck and brought my lips to his, it was a simple kiss. But it was filled with so much passion. Before I could get too carried away, however, I pulled back and whispered in Dimitri's ear.

"Thank you for saving my life."

"You are very welcome, Roza." I could hear the smile in his voice. Dimitri continued kissing me, one hand knotted in my hair while the other, moving down to my thigh, pushed my dress upwards. Everywhere he touched felt like I was being burnt, but it was the best sensation I could have ever felt. Even though I was completely ready to go further with Dimitri, I knew it wasn't a good idea. So, reluctantly, I pulled out of the kiss, much to Dimitri's dismay, and looked him in the eyes, his beautiful deep brown eyes.

"Not saying that I'm not tempted by you or anything, but I am still injured and am feeling more and more light-headed as the night continues. I think I need sleep, or rest or something." I hated the idea of not getting to kiss Dimitri, but I knew I was right. I did need to rest, I was exhausted. Dimitri lead me to his bedroom, it was huge, with a king size bed in the middle of the back wall.

"I will sleep on the couch if that would make you feel more comfortable, I honestly don't mind."

"Don't be silly, there is plenty of room for both of us." My heart leapt at the thought of me and Dimitri sleeping in the same bed together, the idea actually excited me.

Dimitri reached into his wardrobe and handed me a a V-neck shirt and a pair of pijama pants of his. They smelt like him, and I loved the idea of wearing them to bed.

"I'll be right back, I'll get you a glass of water. You should stay hydrated." As soon as Dimitri had left, I decided now would be the best time to get changed. I pulled the bloody dress off and slowly pulled on the pijama pants Dimitri had give me. I looked in the mirror and noticed that half of my neck and chest was covered in dried blood. I went into the bathroom and started scrubbing it off. My hands began to shake and I had a feeling that the shock of that night was beginning to raise it's ugly head. I took a few deep breathes, trying to calm myself down and began scrubbing away the blood more viciously then before. I was beginning to freak out, I could see it. I needed to get a hold of myself before I had a full-fledged panic attack. Dimitri came back at that moment and saw my hands shaking and heard my heavy breathing. He put his hands over mine and Kissed each of them. He then kissed my forehead, both of my closed eyes, my nose and then my lips. There was something incredibly sensual yet calming about what he did. My body couldn't help but react to his body against mine. I pulled Dimitri closer to me, wanting to be as close to him as I could. The kiss' intensity had begun to pick up and I recalled that I was only wearing my bra and his pijama pants. He was also topless. He had changed into a pair of silk black pijama pants and for the first time, I was able to see his body. And boy was it a body. Rippling muscles every where I looked. He wasn't overly muscular, his amount of muscle was just right. He lifted me up onto the bathroom bench without any trouble at all. Yeah, he was abnormally strong. His hands were gripping at my back, he wanted to be just as close to me as I did to him. I was elated by this feeling of total bliss. It couldn't possibly get better than this I thought to myself. I had almost forgotten about my neck when I moved it in the wrong way and I winced in pain.

"Wait, shit! Oh god, my stitches." Dimitri understood immediately. He checked them and told me they were still intact, but that we really did have to go to bed and just sleep. At least until I was feeling better.

* * *

I woke up in Dimitri's strong arms. He was so powerful and yet at the same time he could be so gentle. The events of the night before suddenly came flooding into my mind. Vampires were real. And Dimitri knew a hell of a lot more about them than I did. He'd fought, and killed one right in front of me. He had been strong enough to kill a vampire, which I didn't think was possible for a human. But then again, Dimitri seemed more than human on so many levels.

I opened my eyes to see that Dimitri was studying me with much curiosity.

"What are you?" The way he'd said it wasn't insulting, it was as if he was amazed by me. I giggled, unable to control myself.

"What do you mean? I'm a person, human, just like you."

"No, Roza. I am not a human.. I'm, a Dhampir. I'm not sure how much I should tell you, but well after last night, I think it would be pretty difficult to hide our world from you." My head was reeling, I couldn't think straight I was so confused.

"A.. a Dhampir? What the hell is that?" I asked.

"Okay, I will tell you everything you want to know. But, Roza, you must promise to never tell anyone this, do you understand?" I nodded in agreement. "Alright, well, in the world I was raised in, there are two types of vampires. Moroi and Strigoi, the good and the evil. Moroi are the living vampires, yes they live much longer than humans, but they do eventually die. They have heightened senses and although the sun doesn't kill them, it does weaken them if they are under it for a long time. Moroi need both food and blood to survive, but they do not kill to survive. Strigoi are dead vampires, they do kill their victims and unlike Moroi, they are made, not born. They are unnatural creatures who should not be alive. Dhampirs are the offspring of a Moroi, Dhampir reproduction, we are half human, half vampire. We don't need blood to sustain us, we look human to the untrained eye and we too have heightened senses although not at the same level as vampires do. Strigoi are stronger and faster in every way. They are immortal and there are only three ways to kill them. A silver stake through the heart, burning to death or decapitation. Dhampirs are trained to protect Moroi, we are a kind of bodyguard for them. We protect them with our lives because we need them for our species to survive. I know it's a lot to take in, please take some time to process this and you are welcome to ask more questions. I have told you all I can think of at the moment." Dimitri was right, it was a lot to take in. I was in shock at the information I had just received. I didn't know how to react, and I did not want to freak out and have a panic attack in front of Dimitri.

"Do vampires have the ability to control others?" It was the first question that popped into my head.

"What do you mean?"

"At the nightclub, the Strigoi had told me to do things and I couldn't stop myself from doing them, it was like everything he was saying made perfect sense and was the most logical thing in the world. I can't quite explain it, but it was like I was under the influence of the Strigoi." Dimitri's face smoothed out in understanding.

"Ahh, yes. It is called compulsion. All vampires have the ability, although it is forbidden in the Moroi world. Strigoi have a much higher strength of it then Moroi do and they tend to use it whenever they get the chance. It stops there victims from screaming at their appearance. What I don't understand, though, is how you were able to resist compulsion and break through the endorphins of the bite, to kick out at the Strigoi." Dimitri had that curious look on his face again.

"Endorphins?"

"Yes, when a vampire bites someone, they release endorphins into the persons bloodstream, giving the person a sort of high, so they don't feel any pain during feeding. It has never been heard of for a human to resist that."

"I don't really know how I did it, to be honest. I just remembered my dreams and how I knew I was dying, I could feel myself weakening. It was hard to suppress that feeling of pure happiness, probably the hardest thing I have ever done, but somehow I managed to get through it. I guess my need to survive was stronger than I imagined."

"Yes, I guess so. You really are an amazing woman, you know that? I have never met a human like you before." It was weird hearing him call me human when he, too, looked so human himself. But I appreciated the compliment anyway.

"Unfortunately, Roza, I have to go back to work. I have a duty to guard my Moroi and I can't neglect that. I will try and get some time off for the next few weeks, just while you're getting better. You are welcome to stay here if you want. I should be back later this evening. I hope to see you when I get back." Dimitri kissed me and before we could get too out of control, he pulled back, got dressed and left to go to work. So, Dimitri wanted me to stay with him? Yeah, I could get used to that. I called the hotel and told them to send over all of my luggage to this address and while I was waiting for it to arrive, I decided to explore Dimitri's apartment.


	4. Chapter 4: Home

**Note: Heyy guys! I hope you like this chapter! I know I loved writing it! Please let me know what you think.. I love getting reviews! =] Thanks for reading! - Raechel**

* * *

Chapter Four: Home

I had a whole day alone in Dimitri's apartment. Although I had only met him the night before, it felt like we had known each other in a previous lifetime. We had connected instantly and when we kissed it felt like we were two halves of the same whole, coming together as one. I felt like I was at home. I couldn't believe I had ever thought Mason was the guy for me, I was so naïve. Now, more than anything, I was glad to be rid of that over-confident jock from my life. I hadn't thought about him or Lissa since last night before seeing Dimitri at the club.

Now that I was alone in Dimitri's apartment, I decided to explore. I opened Dimitri's huge walk in wardrobe, looking through the racks of clothes. It was mainly filled with White V-neck shirts and black slacks. My guess was that that was what he usually wore as a Guardian. But toward the back of his wardrobe, were rows of Leather jackets, no not jackets, dusters. Like the kinds of coats you see cowboys wearing. There were too many to count. I got the feeling that these were a kind of indulgence for Dimitri, but I didn't mind. They had just made him even more attractive to me, I kind of always had a thing for cowboys.

Next, I walked into a room where the door had been closed, I hadn't been in there before and wasn't entirely sure what to expect. But all it was, was a library of sorts. Bookcases lining all four walls, old leather books filling them. I took a book from the shelf and saw that it was an Old Western novel. More cowboy things? I thought to myself. So Dimitri had a cowboy complex, I could deal with that. In one corner of the library room was an old antique leather arm chair, I could immediately see Dimitri sitting in it reading one of his Old Western novels. I chuckled internally at the thought. So this bad ass Guardian had a weakness for all things cowboy it seemed.

I was just about to explore the lounge room when the phone rang. I jumped about three metres into the air, almost having a heart attack. After the phone rang out, Dimitri's answering machine picked it up. A sexy Russian accent telling who ever was calling to leave a message and that he would try and get back to them as soon as possible.

"Hey, Dimka. It's Tasha. So seeming as you have been working non-stop, I figured you were about due for some time off. I have a holiday house in Spain.. how does lying on a beach for three weeks sound to you? And if you're really lucky, I will let you rub the sun-tan oil all over me. Haha. Let me know Dimka! Catch you later." The answering machine went silent and I was momentarily frozen in place. Who the hell was Tasha? I thought bitterly. She couldn't have been his girlfriend, could she? Dimitri wouldn't have kissed me the way he had if he was with another woman, right? My head started reeling. I didn't doubt that Dimitri could get every girl he wanted, he just didn't seem like the guy to be with more then one woman at a time. I was shocked, and a little hurt. No, Rose, stop being so stupid. You barely know the guy so who cares if he has a girlfriend? He probably sees you as some young piece of ass that he can just play around with. You should get out of there, now! I told myself, over and over again. But my feet wouldn't, no... couldn't lead me out the door. I needed to wait for Dimitri, for an explanation. I didn't dare erase the message, that would be going too far, after all, I had just met the guy that previous night. Maybe I was the only one who had felt that jolt of electricity last night. Maybe Dimitri was just being polite, not wanting to hurt my feelings after the ordeal I had been through.

* * *

I had imagined so many different reasons, explaining the woman on the answering machine by the time Dimitri got home. I hadn't mentioned it, I wanted to see his reaction when he listened to the message. Dimitri kissed me on the cheek when he got home, as if I had been living with him for years, like we were an old married couple, it felt so natural. He pressed the _play _button on the answering machine and there she was, flirty attitude, giggly voice and all.. I hated having to listen to it again.

"Hey, Dimka. It's Tasha. So seeming as you have been working non-stop, I figured you were about due for some time off. I have a holiday house in Spain.. how does lying on a beach for three weeks sound to you? And if you're really lucky, I will let you rub the sun-tan oil all over me. Haha. Let me know Dimka! Catch you later." I looked at Dimitri as he listened to the message, he smiled ruefully and chuckled. I didn't want him to react like that. As Dimitri looked up at me, his face all of a sudden softened, he must have seen the confusion in my eyes.

"Tasha is just an old friend, Roza. No need to worry. I mean, she wants to be with me. She has made that quite clear over the years, but I have never returned her feelings. I am sorry about how that message must have sounded." Dimitri was so genuine and sweet, it continuously shocked me that we had only met barely twenty four hours ago.

"It's not like I would have cause for worry, I mean, yeah we kissed and all, but the truth is.. I mean, it's not like we are together or anything." I hated saying those words, but it was the truth, after all. Dimitri looked at me and smirked.

"Roza.. I don't know what we are, but I would definitely like to find out more about you. In my world, relationships with humans are strictly forbidden... but, there is something about you. You are more than human, yet you are not Dhampir. You amaze me and I would gladly break the rules to be with you.. If you'll have me, of course." I felt warm all over. Dimitri was the sweetest, gentlest guy I had ever met. I would be happy staying in Russia with him for the rest of my life.

"Well, I have all the time in the world and of course I want to be with you. I couldn't imagine a better way to spend my time in Russia." I said with a shy smile. No one had ever made me feel the way I felt with Dimitri right now, definitely not Mason.

* * *

I had woken up, again, in Dimitri's arms the next morning and memories of the night before were fluttering through my brain like beautiful butterflies. We hadn't had sex or anything, we had barely even touched in that way, but we had talked throughout most of the night. I told Dimitri about Mason and Lissa and how they had broken my heart. I had cried in front of Dimitri, but I hadn't felt weak, not like I would if I had cried in front of Mason. Dimitri had held me in his arms, whispering sweet nothings into my ear about how much of a fool Mason was to let me go and how Lissa didn't deserve me as a friend. After I had talked endlessly about my life in L.A and then the big move into Montana and to the Academy, I had gone on to talk about my parents. Dimitri had asked why my mother hadn't taken my fathers name as hers. She had wanted to keep her name as Hathaway as a sort of female independence thing. Abe hadn't objected.

After I was all talked out, we moved onto Dimitri. Him telling me about his life at home with his family before he had decided to become a Guardian. Dimitri wasn't a 'promised' Guardian, he hadn't wanted to leave his family, so he never graduated and was never assigned a Moroi legally. He had been hired by the Moroi at the club. Dimitri was able to live in his own apartment, not having to guard the Moroi 24/7 because he had two other Guardians. When Dimitri talked about his family, it was as if we were sitting in the room with them, he was so fond of them and hoped that we could visit them during his time off. He had managed to get three and a half weeks off before having to return to his guarding duties. Although Dimitri wasn't a 'promised' Guardian, he still took his duties very seriously. I admired that about him.

We had talked late into the night and it had been wonderful, as if we had been together forever, never leaving each other sides. I loved the way Dimitri smelt, lying next to me. He smelt of leather and musk. I could lose myself in that smell. I could drown in it and be perfectly contempt.

"Good morning, Roza," Dimitri whispered in my ear, he had his arms around my waist, spooning me so that his mouth was right next to my ear. He sent shivers down my spine, in a good way, "would you like to have some breakfast?"

"Not just yet, I like just being able to lie here next to you." Dimitri smiled against my ear and his stubble tickled my skin. He was such a man. I was eighteen and Dimitri was twenty-four. Not a big difference when you think about it. Dimitri made me feel more like a woman then I had ever felt before in my life. Probably because we hadn't gone to highschool together. With Mason, I always felt like a highschool kid, but with Dimitri it felt real.

"Sure thing, love. I definitely do not have a problem with that. You are too beautiful to let go of anyway." Everything Dimitri said to me was sweet and sensual at the same time. As he said those words, he held on to me tighter and I couldn't help but get excited at the feel of his body against mine.

I turned myself around so that I was facing him, wrapping my arms around his neck, pulling my body close to his so I could feel every inch of his body against mine. Dimitri let out a slight growl in my ear. It was strange, knowing that he wasn't human, but when he made noises like that, they only excited me more. Dimitri kissed me softly, barely tracing his lips against mine, but my body reacted to it anyway, pulling his lips to mine again, intensifying the kiss so that our tongues had become entwined. Dimitri's arms were still around my waist, and with one hand, he began pushing my shirt up, not stopping until it was over my head and thrown on the floor. Dimitri slept without a top on so I didn't need to worry about that, I did, however, work on removing his pijama pants, while he did the same to mine. We couldn't remove clothing quick enough, we wanted this so badly. In a matter of minutes we were both completely naked, bodies wrapped around each other as if we were one. I had never let myself have sex with Mason, no matter how much he wanted it, it had never felt right. But now, with Dimitri, a guy I had only met two days ago, it felt perfect.

There were no words for how much pleasure I was in, I was drowning in a world of ecstasy and Dimitri was drowning right along with me. We moved as one, moaning against each others lips, clawing at each others backs to get closer to each other. It was almost animalistic. Like some primal instincts had taken control of our bodies. I didn't mind, of course. It had felt wonderful, like no pleasure I could have ever imagined. We reached our climax together, not wanting it to end. I had to bite my lip to stop myself from screaming out in satisfaction. Dimitri allowed himself a release of a loud growl rising from deep in his throat. Yeah, animalistic was right. We relaxed against each other, just lying there for a while before we decided to get up and eat something. I hadn't even bothered thinking about my stitches, but they were still intact. Surprising, considering what we had just done.

* * *

Dimitri was cooking me breakfast. Bacon and eggs. I had offered to help, but he refused, telling me that he wanted to look after me. I had reluctantly accepted it, although I felt bad just sitting there while he did all the work. Even though it had been a simple dish, it had tasted wonderful. I never pictured Dimitri to be a good cook, but he continued to surprise me in so many ways, I just decided to go with it. While I was eating breakfast, Dimitri decided to tell me what the plan was for the day.

"We are going shopping. In town. You need a new dress, considering the last one was kind of ruined and I need to pick up a few supplies.. food, you know, the usual."

"You don't have to buy me a new dress, really, it doesn't matter." Although it had been my favourite dress, I didn't want Dimitri spending any unnecessary money on me.

"Nonsense, I saw the look in your eyes when you saw how bloody your dress had gotten. And plus, I want to buy you a new dress, you are worth it."

"Why are you so wonderful? Thankyou."

"I don't know about that.. I guess I just want to be the best man I can be when I'm around you." Dimitri pulled me in for an intimate embrace, lacing his fingers in my hair.

* * *

We were walking through a local town, that had lots of small stalls and shops. Dimitri translated everything, of course. I felt like such a foreigner, but with Dimitri it wasn't so horrible, probably because he spoke English almost better than I did. We had stopped at a small clothes store and were looking through the racks for a suitable replacement for my dress. Dimitri pulled out a beautiful, vintage dress. It was deep red, with a tight-fitting corsette type bust, that then spread out into layers of silk chiffon. It dropped down to my knees and I immediately fell in love with it. Dimitri had picked out the perfect dress. I tried the dress on and when I walked out of the change room, Dimitri's jaw dropped and eyes widened in awe. A huge grin presented itself on his face as he walked over to me.

"That dress is amazing. You look.. even more perfect than you already do, if that were even possible. Please, let me buy it for you, I won't take no for an answer." Dimitri's hands were on my hips, squeezing tightly as he spoke. There was lust and hunger in his eyes. He wanted me right then and there.

"Would you mind coming into the change room with me? I need you to unzip the dress for me." I said with my man-eating smile. Dimitri smirked and followed me into the change room, closing and locking the door behind him. The change room was fairly spacious, which I was thankful for at that moment. Dimitri unzipped the dress and the zipper went all the way down to the top of my underwear. Luckily I was wearing a nice pair or lacy, lingerie underwear. As Dimitri unzipped the dress all the way, he growled and began stroking my lower back, sending shivers throughout my entire body. I had taken my bra off to try on the dress, not wanting the straps to show. I pulled the dress off and Dimitri couldn't resist the temptation anymore. He spun me around and lifted me up into his arms, wrapping my legs around his waist and pushing me up against the wall. Dimitri had begun kissing my neck as I knotted my hands in his hair, biting my lip, not wanting the shop assistant to hear us. We were about to take it much further, not being able to control our urges for one another when the shop lady knocked on the door of the change-room.

"Все ли хорошо там? Я видел, что человек вошел в комнату с изменением с вами.Мне жаль, но он должен будет выйти в то время как вы меняете, по соображениям безопасности." _(Is everything okay in there? I saw that a man went into the change-room with you. I'm sorry but he will have to come out while you are changing, for security reasons.) _Dimitri quickly whispered in my ear what the woman had said and I responded immediately, not wanting to draw attention to us.

"Oh, um, alright, I will only be a minute." I couldn't stop myself from laughing and soon, Dimitri was laughing with me. How embarrassing, I thought to myself. Dimitri quickly pushed me up against the wall again, kissing me hard and intensely, not wanting to waste any time. As soon as he had kissed me, he had pulled away and left the change-room, much to my dismay. I changed back into my other clothes, let Dimitri buy me the dress and we left to go back to his apartment.


	5. Chapter 5: Old Friends

**Note: Heyy everyone, so I know it has been a little while since my last update and all, but I have just been really busy with Christmas shopping and everything! =] So I hope you like this chapter and I will try and update sooner next time, although you might have to wait until after Christmas. =D Thanks to all of my readers and reviewers, I really appreciate the support! please keep reviewing! =] - Raechel**

* * *

Chapter 5: Old Friends

We had gotten back to Dimitri's apartment late afternoon and he informed me that we were having Spaghetti Bolognese for dinner. I was happy when Dimitri allowed me to help this time. When we were in the kitchen it was as if we could read each others minds, always knowing where to stand so we didn't get in the others way, always knowing what the other needed, it felt so normal for us. We were so accustomed to the other's body, it was scary to think we had only known each other for about a week. Dimitri had set the table with the 'good china', as he called it, with candles. The table looked amazing and the candles made the scene that much more romantic. I would never understand how Dimitri could be so perfect. We were in the middle of eating dinner, which tasted delicious, when the door bell rang. Dimitri was just as confused as I was, not knowing who it could have been. He walked over to the door and opened it. Of course, who would be standing there, but Tasha. I recognised her from photos Dimitri had of her. She jumped into Dimitri's arms as soon as he had opened the door. I didn't know what to do, clear my throat or cough. But instead I did nothing. I just watched her drape herself all over him.

"Dimka! I have missed you so much! You look amazing. I always have loved your hair." Tasha was stroking the side of his face, tucking strands of his hair behind his ear, completely clueless to the other woman in the room. I was mortified. Dimitri abruptly pushed Tasha away from him, not hiding his discomfort. I could see the hurt in Tasha's eyes and was a little satisfied to be honest.

"Tasha, I would like you to meet my _girlfriend_, Roza." Dimitri had called me his girlfriend for the first time and I was so elated I almost forgot to speak. Tasha, on the other hand, looked horrified.

"It's nice to meet you, Tasha." I was nothing if not civil. I wasn't going to show my hatred towards this woman, she was a Moroi I could tell. She looked at me with a look of pure disgust.

"Dimitri. She's a... Human." She practically spat the words at him. I looked at Dimitri and saw the anger in his eyes.

"You think I don't know that? She is so much more than human, though. Tasha, she was attacked by a Strigoi, broke through the compulsion and fought back. She is... amazing." Dimitri looked at me with so much love in his eyes, I couldn't help but blush a little. I smiled and linked our fingers together. He squeezed my hand and kissed me. It was a kiss full of pride and love and I almost lost myself in it, forgetting that there was someone else in the room.

"Oh God, I think I am going to be sick. Dimitri, when you're finished with this human and have come to your senses, call me." Then Tasha walked out, slamming the door behind her like a child. She was not a very nice person at all.

"If you want to go after her, I'll understand. You said so yourself, she is an old friend." Dimitri smiled softly, placing his hand on my face.

"No, Roza, I do not want to go after her. If she was a friend she would not have said such horrible things about you. I am so sorry." Dimitri was so sincere, it surprised me sometimes.

My response wasn't so much in words, but kisses. I pulled his face down to mine and wrapped my arms around his neck, lacing my fingers in his hair. Dimitri kissed me back for a while and then we realised we still had food to eat.

* * *

I didn't wake up in Dimitri's arms the next morning, much to my dismay, but I could hear that he was on the phone. To Tasha. I walked over to the door of his bedroom, wanting to hear what was being said. I hated eavesdropping, but I was curious. I could clearly hear what Dimitri was saying.

"You have no idea what you are talking about Tasha. Rose is an amazing woman..."

"She is only 6 years younger than me and most of the time I forget because she is so mature..."

"No, right now, the only kid around here is you, I can't believe you won't be happy for me..."

"Why is it so difficult for you to accept that I don't have those feelings for you?..."

"Tasha, stop. I will not here you say such horrible things about the woman I love." That caught me by surprise, Dimitri had told Tasha he loved me. I wasn't sure if he had said it for her benefit or if it was the truth. I needed to hear more.

"Yes, Tasha, I think I really do love her. I have never felt this way about anyone before..."

"I know, it has only been about a week, but I feel like I have known her my entire life..."

"Tasha, please, can you just be happy for me?..."

"Thankyou." And then he hung up. I was in complete and utter shock and on top of that Dimitri was walking back towards the bedroom. I jumped into bed, under the covers and pretended to be asleep. Dimitri chuckled as he walked into the room.

"Roza, I know that you're awake and that you heard the last part of my phone call. I could hear your heart beat quicken." Damn his Dhampir ears, I thought. I sat up with a little guilt on my face.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop but, I knew you were talking about me. I couldn't resist." Dimitri smiled, took his shirt and pijama pants off and got under the covers with me, pulling me to him as he began removing my clothing. He began kissing my neck as his hands explored my body, discovering new places that caused different reactions from my body. It was like Dimitri owned every inch of my body, and I wasn't complaining. We fell asleep in each others arms, his body heat warming me so much that I had to get out of bed in the middle of the night to cool myself down.

I walked into the kitchen and poured myself a glass of water. I didn't feel tired so I decided to stay awake for a bit, I sat on the lounge and made myself comfortable with my drink. I started thinking about Lissa and Mason, picturing them together, behind my back. My heart began aching and before I knew it, tears were streaming down my face. I hadn't allowed myself time to move on from Mason, I had felt such a strong pull towards Dimitri I hadn't thought that I needed the time. But sitting there in Dimitri's apartment, I knew I hadn't let go of what happened between Mason and Lissa.

My school's 'End of Schooling Ball' was in a few days and the original plan was for me and Lissa to fly back to Montana for a couple of days to attend it together, now I didn't know what I was going to do. A part of me knew I had to confront Lissa and Mason for what they did but another part of me just wanted to hide myself away in Russia and never speak to them again. As much as I hated to admit it, I was still hurting and although Dimitri was very good at making me forget about them, I needed to face this.

Dimitri walked in, saw my tears and immediately came rushing to my side. He had so much love and concern written all over his face. It brought all new tears to my eyes. I had to leave him to go back to Montana and attend my school's ball. It was going to hurt to leave him.

"Roza, is everything alright? Are you hurt?"

"No, I guess it's not. I have to go home for a few days, back to Montana. Vladimir's 'End of Schooling Ball' is in a few days and I think I need to go and face Lissa and Mason. I don't want to be apart from you, but I have to do this. Please understand." I saw in Dimitri's eyes that he was contemplating something and then I saw him make a decision.

"Let me go with you, if you want. I don't want to be apart from you either and I don't think you should be alone for this. Are you allowed to bring guests?" The thought hadn't even occurred to me, but the thought of bringing Dimitri to my School's end of year formal, where both Lissa and Mason would be, yeah, it sounded like a fantastic idea. I agreed and we immediately booked a flight back to Montana for the next morning. Dimitri would have to meet my parents before he came to the Ball with me.

* * *

Introducing Dimitri to my parents wasn't as horrible as I had imagined. My mother was a bit stunned by him at first, seeing how unbelievably attractive he was. She then began drilling him for information and found that she actually liked him. She pulled me aside later, telling me that she approved.

"Rose, I know it hasn't been long since Mason, but Dimitri is amazing. He is smart, confident, funny and not to mention sexy." My mother continuously looked him up and down like some kind of animal. Dimitri noticed but he did a good job at hiding his amusement.

"Ew, mum, please, he is my boyfriend remember?" My mother was momentarily brought back to reality.

"Oh, right of course. Are you sure you are ready for a relationship? He is definitely a good candidate though, just be careful alright?" My mum was nothing if not practical.

"Yes, mum, I promise. Where is Dad? He was supposed to be here to meet Dimitri." I was a little frustrated that Abe hadn't shown up, especially when I told him it was incredibly important to me.

"Don't worry, sweetheart, he will be here like he said," we heard the door unlock, "in fact, I bet that's him now." Of course, she was right. Abe walked in all dressed up as if he had just gotten back from some extravagant party.

"Dad!" I ran over to him and gave him a huge hug, the truth was that I missed my parents. Abe chuckled and hugged me back.

"Glad to see you still need your good old dad. So where is this fellow I just _have _to meet?" And, right on cue, Dimitri walked into the room with a genuine smile.

"That would be me, Sir. It is a pleasure to meet you, I have heard a lot about you and your family." Dimitri shook my dad's hand and it was like they were brothers or something, they immediately got along. I was afraid Abe would be too intimidating, but after Dimitri wasn't showing any sign of hesitation, my dad relaxed and decided he was worth my time.

It was the day before my school's formal and I hadn't even realised I didn't have a dress. I was considering wearing the red dress Dimitri had bought me but he objected to it.

"Trust me, you want to wear a dress that will make Mason wish he had never hurt you. You want a dress that will make every guy at that dance want to be with you. And I will be the one to come with you and choose it." Dimitri said with a smirk. My heart fluttered at the idea of Dimitri being there when I try on another dress.

* * *

So there we were, walking hand in hand down a street looking for the perfect dress to wear to my school's formal the next day. I had tried on a few dresses that I liked, but I was waiting for the dress that would take both mine and Dimitri's breathe away. So far, we were having no such luck. We were in a small vintage store with lots of custom made designer dresses when I found it. The perfect dress. Dimitri spotted it first and as soon as my eyes fell on it, I knew it was the one. It was a gold dress with a tight, strapless corset bodice and a princess skirt with folds and folds of voluminous fabric. It was a vintage Valentino ball gown and I was in love with it.

"Dimitri, it's... I don't even know how to explain it, it's so perfect!" Dimitri saw the excitement in my voice and in my eyes, he was smiling aswell.

"Well, why don't you try it on and let me see it?" Dimitri said with a playful smile. I walked into the change room, pulled on the dress and luckily, because I was in excellent shape, the dress fit me like a glove. I admired myself in the mirror for a few minutes, wondering if I was actually wearing the dress. I looked so much older. I looked a lot like my mother, actually. I walked out of the change room and when Dimitri caught sight of me, the look in his eyes showed just how amazing I looked. My heart beat quickened and I could tell he heard it.

"Roza, you look absolutely stunning. You are going to knock them dead at that ball. And I am going to be right there by your side. I am so lucky to have met you." Dimitri was so sweet and so breathtaking, half the time I couldn't understand what he saw in me.

"So.. you like the dress then?" I said with my best man-eating smile. Dimitri responded to it immediately. He rushed over to where I was standing and wrapped his arms tight around my waist. He pulled me into a kiss and before we got too carried away I stopped him so I could change out of my dress and buy it.

After that, it was time to get my hair and makeup done. Dimitri sat next to me patiently as they styled my hair into loose waves, I always preferred it natural, as did Dimitri. I told them I didn't want a lot of makeup, just natural with smoky cat eyes and red lipstick. I wanted to stand out at the ball and Dimitri loved red lipstick on me. After my hair and makeup was finished, we headed back to my house where I got changed into the dress and Dimitri changed into a beautiful Georgio Armani suit with a Ralph Lauren Shirt. He didn't wear a tie, but had his top button undone. He looks every bit like a runway model in that outfit. Honestly, we both looked like we belonged on the cover of some high fashion magazine. We got into the Mercedes Benz that was taking us to the Ball and Dimitri squeezed my hand for comfort. I had butterflies in my stomach, and not in a good way.

* * *

Dimitri and I were running late to the ball and as I stepped out of the car, Dimitri held out his hand to me in an old fashioned sort of way. He was nothing if not chivalrous. We walked through the huge, antique wooden doors to the massive hall where the ball was being held, hand in hand, and as soon as the doors closed behind us with a loud thud, everyone looked up at us. Just like you see in all of the movies, only it was worse. Much, much worse. My heart sank as I realised people had started whispering. Only they were whispering about Lissa and Mason. I don't know how they all found out, but they had. Dimitri squeezed my hand tighter, making me feel better as he led me down the stairs and towards the dance floor. Dimitri pulled me close and as we started to dance he whispered in my ear.

"Roza, don't worry, only a few of them are talking about Lissa and Mason, the rest of them are whispering about you, and that dress." Dimitri said, I could feel him smile against my ear. Dimitri twirled me around and once again whispered in my ear.

"I love you, Roza. I didn't want to say it back in Russia because it wouldn't have meant the same until now. I never want to be without you." My heart wanted to fly up to the heavens I was so happy. I almost forgot to respond.

"Dimitri, I love you too. I couldn't possibly imagine loving anyone the way I love you." And with that, Dimitri dipped me, placed his hand at the back of my neck and placed his lips on mine for the sweetest most amazing kiss in the history of kisses. Dimitri and I were still kissing when we heard Lissa speak.

"Oh my God! Rose?" Lissa didn't sound happy to see me, or upset, or even angry. She sounded disgusted. So she decided to re-work her guilt into hatred toward me, fine, I was content with her not wanting to speak to me. Dimitri pulled me up and whispered a question into my ear.

"Liss?"

"Oh, yeah." Was all I said in return.


End file.
